Car-ventilating apparatus.



HENRY A. GADSDEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND. AR-VENTILATING APPARATU'si 'specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. '9, reos) Application filed June 20, 19011. Serial No. 213,310.

l To a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, HENRY A. GADSDEN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Ventilating Apparatus, of which the following is a specifica-tion. 1

The object of the present invention, stated broadly, is to provide means for the ventilation of railway-cars and other vehicles.

More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide an efficient means of the character` stated through the operation whereof air will be passed in a continuous cycle through the car or other vehicle, pure air being introduced at a suitable point and the passage thereof at such point being utilized to assure not only the ingress of pure air the center of gravity-JL'. 6

to the car, but also the egress of air which has become impure.

A further object of the invention is to accomplish this result in a simple and economical manner, so as not to add substantially to the cost of production of a new car or to addsubstantially to the cost of embodying the invention in a car already in use.

A further obj-ect of the invention is to so arrange the apparatus as to make the saine substantially automatic, although mechanism may be provided for adjusting to a nicety car from the outside thereof.

A the quantum of air fed to the interior of the l A further object of the invention is to provide for the removal from air fed to a car of dust and other impurities and also, if desired, to not only purify, but likewise warm or cool, such air before to the interior.

A further Objectis to provide apparatus of permitting the same to pass 1 1 such passage.

`the character described which shall not im-l pose additional weight upon the car near the upper portion thereof, the effect whereof .i would be to increase dangerous swaying, but

to add substantially to the stability of the car by locating the additional weight below i at or about the level of the car-floor.

In carrying out the invention in a form applicabl'e to a type of railway-car commonly employed in the United States, this type be'- i-ng selected merely for the present disclosure and not as limiting the application of the invention, I employ a substantially continuous a1rpassa-ge extending the other and profrom one end of the car to purpose of the vided at each -end with a hood or funnel for the ingress and egress of air. Su'ch hood is preferably adjustable so as to be Idirected either forward or rearward and may be ar-V ranged on top of the car, connect-ing with vertical portions of the air-passage, which, if de` sired, may be arranged just inside the front and rear car-walls. These vertical portions are connected by a horizontal portion, which may be arranged either above or vbelow `the car-iloor, as desired, and in `such horizontal portion may be arranged a receptacle or receptacles for water or other fluid and also, if desired, deilectors whereby Ithe air passing through such passage willbe forced into contact with such water. The upright portions of the air-passage at ei her end of the car are provided with adjustable valves, whereby the quantum of air passing through the pas# sage may be nicely regulated. These valves may be arranged at any suitable height from the car-floor, but preferably somewhat above the height reached by the heads of the occupants of the car. The movement of the car is relied upon to force :a quantity of end of such car, this hood or funnel being preferably protected 'by means of a screen of woven wire, forami-nated material, or other suitable device. The air on passing into such passage is forced the entire length of the car, and a portion thereof thence out of the passage through one of the valves above mentioned and into the body of the car, where it passes forward under pressure and the influence of the suction at the receiving end of the passage, so as to pass :again into The quantum of air thus Ifed from ,the passage into the car is determined by means of the valve, preferably at the ydelivery end of such passage, and this may be arranged so as to deflect from the passage and into thev interior of the car the entire body of air received at the forward end ofthe passage, o'r such smaller portion thereof as may be desired, the remaining portion being j permitted to pass from such air-passage to the outside atmosphere through the hood or funnel at the other end of the car. At a suitable point or points in the air-passage, between the forward and rear ends thereof, I prefer to arrange an air-purifying tank or tanks and to employ in connection with these air-deflectors for the purpose above referred to. In practice either one or more air through the hood or funnel at one IOO IIO

sages are used, one on either side Vof the doorways at either end of the car.

'The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- ,FigureA 1 is a sectional view of a 'car 'equipped with my improved ventilatingapi varatus, the car-body being shown in dotted ines. =--Fig. 2 is ay cross-section on the line 2 2, Fig.` il. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the air-passage. Fig. 4

is an enlarged detail illustrating a means of adjustment of the valves in the upright portions of the air-passage, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are central sections oi the air-passage, illustrating, however, modiiications of the construction shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts, and premising with the statement that since where more than one air-passage is employed they will besubstantially the same in construction, and therefore but one need be described in detail, A designates the horizontal portion of the air-passage, here shown as arranged just below the lloor B of the car C, although it may be arranged above such floor, if desired. In Fig. 1 this passage is shown as equipped with the central air-purifying tank D, having silt-cock d and of such area as to permit a suitable quantity of water or other fluid d to be carried therein. Over this purifying-tank the airpassage A is provided with deilectors a a, which may, if desired, be adjustable, a suitable clamping mechanism-such, for instance, as that hereinafter described-being employed 'for securing such deilectors in positi'on to so act upon the air passing' through said passage as to bring the same in contact with the water or other iluid in said tank; D.

E F designate, respectively, the forward and rear upright portions of the air-passage. These, as shown, are connected at their lower ends with the horizontal portion A of such passage and may be arranged either w. y`hin or without the 'front and rear walls of the car. The upper ends of these upright portions E F terminate in funnel-shaped hoods G, the ends whereof may be provided with screens g for the purpose of excluding coarse impurities from the air passing into said hoods.

H I designate, respectively, valves carried by the forward and rear upright portions E F of the air-passa e. These are here shown as hinged at h anl arranged (when in closed position) over openings or ports 7i i', formed in the upright portions E F. Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting these valves-such, for instance, as the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4, comprising the operating-handle h2, the slotted segment h3, and jam-nut h4.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are illustrated certain modifications of the construction of the horizontal portion 'A of the air-passage with respect to the air-purifying tank above referred to. In the construction illustrated'in Fig. 5 I have shown such horizontal portion A as provided with two separated tanks L and delecting wings or vanes Z to assure the passage ofthe air close to or in contact with the fluid Z in said tanks. In Fig. 7 a slightly different arrangement `of theparts is illustrated, the horizontal portion of the air-passage being here shown as above the car-floor and provided at each endwith tanks P Q, with which the vertical portions oi' the airpassage also connect` such tanks being provided with partitions l) g and ports for ingress and egress of water. Ii desired, however, instead of having a single tank at approximately the center of the car or two separated tanks, the horizontal portion of the airpassage may be adapted to receive and carry the water or other fluid substantially throughout its entire length. Where this is done, however, it is obvious that means must be employed Jfor preventing the accumulation of water at one or the other end of the car, as would occur on certain grades, for the effect of this would be to substantially seal the passage against the ingress and egress of air. The end may readily be attained in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein I have shown an elongated tank M, provided with partitions lm at suitable intervals extending substantially above the water-level, and therefore precluding the passage of the entire quantity of water in such continuous tank to either end of the air-passage and the consequent sealing of' such passage.

If desired, the bottom of the horizontal portion A of the air-passage, whether provided with a tank or tanks or partitions or not, may be covered with a layer of felt or other absorbent material, and this may be kept moist by a drip-tank, for instance, suitably located. Such a layer of absorbent material will answer the purpose above described and in addition possesses the advantage of being substantially independent of variations in the grade ofthe road-bed.

A car equipped with the apparatus above described may or may not be provided with the usual ventilators just below the roof. Whether provided or unprovided with such ventilators, it is obvious that to adequately ventilate the car (and by this I mean not only to permit the egress of impure air, but also to assure the ingress of pure air) such ventila- IOO IIO

tors are wholly insufficient, and the successful the movement of the car causes the outside air to be forced through the funnel G and thence into the upright portion E of the airpassage, thence through the horizontal portion A thereof and through or over the fluid in the purifying-tank, and thence to the upright portion F of such air-passage, where the same is acted upon by the valve I to permit the passage of the whole or a portion of such air back into the car through the port or opening i. Where but a portion of such air is permitted to pass into the interior of the car, the remainder passes by such valve I and out through the exhaust-hood G. Such portion of the air as is permitted to pass into the interior of the car through said port or passage i moves forwardly within the car, becoming associated meanwhile with the impure air already in such car, and the whole, or a substantial portion thereof, is drawn, by reason of the passage of air through the upright portionE of the air-passage, through the port or passage 7L and thence downward and rearward through the portions E and A of the air-passage, where suchA combined pure and impure air is again purified by means of the fluid in the purifying-tank D. Of course in the passage of the air from the port i to the port h/ a certain portion of such air will escape through orifices other than said port 7U- as, for instance, through windows or other openings. This, however, does not materially afl ect the cycle of movement of the air originally introduced through the forward hood G, but permits a constant and uniform distribution of pure air in a manner which may be characterized as a cycle of ventilation.

Any suitable means may b`e employed for flushing or washing out the horizontal portion of the air-passage. Thus, if desired, the same may be provided with a port at each end'adapting it to be quickly and thoroughly cleansed of silt and other impurities when the car is not in use by directing a stream of water therethrough.

Of course, should the movement of the car result in the passage of too great a quantum of air through the air-passage and the consequent introduction of too great a quantum of air into the interior of the car, this difficulty may be overcome by the adjustment of the rear valve I, the movement of that valve toward and from its seat operating, as above indicated, to regulate the quantum of air passing to the interior of the car, the remainder of such air being permitted to pass from the vertical portion F of the air-passage and thence out through the rear hood G.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination with a car, of a continuous air-passage comprising a pipe running lengthwise of the car and extensions at the ends of said pipe open at their ends to the atmosphere, said extensions each having an aperture to the interior of the car, an adjustable valve associated with the aperture in one of said extensions for directing air flowing down said extension past the aperture therein, vand an adjustable valve associated with the aperture in the other of said extensions for directing through the aperture in said extension a portion of the air flowing through said lengthwise pipe and up the extension and the remainder of said air past the aperture to the open end of the extension, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a car, of a continuous air-passage comprising a pipe running lengthwise of the car adjacent to the floor thereof, air-purifying devices in said pipe, vertical extensions at the ends of said pipe open at their ends to the atmosphere, said extensions each having an aperture to the interior of the car, an adjustable valve associated with the aperture in one of said extensions for directing air flowing down said extension past the aperture therein, and an adjustable valve associated with the aperture in the other of said extensions for directing through the aperture in said extension a portion of the air flowing through said lengthwise pipe and up the extension and the remainder of said air past the aperture to the operkil end of the extension, substantially as set fort 3. The combination with a car, of a pipe extending the length thereof, vertical extensions one at each end of the pipe and each having an always-open air-collecting funnel and an aperture to the interior of the car, and an adjustable valve for each aperture hinged at the upper edge of the aperture and opening into the vertical extension, whereby air may be drawn from the car through the aperture in the vertical extension at the forward end and returned to the car through the aperture at the other end, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 11th day of May, 1904.

HENRY GADSDEN.

Witnesses:

ALFRED NUTTING, F. L. RAND.

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